Trained to Avoid Tragedy

Deke's Note: One of my reviewers recently wrote that I "ranted" a lot in my book, JUST DRIVE - Life in the Bus Lane. Yes, I did, and sometimes I still do. Repetition tends to get the point across. This blog began as a simple chronicle of the daily life of one bus driver. Me. It has become my therapy to write about what happens "out there" as I guide a very large vehicle through an oft-unforgiving world. This time, I offer you a glimpse of my thoughts on a tragic Portland story which began nine years ago...

A group of friends left a comedy club, likely laughing and talking about the show they had just seen. Some blocks away, a bus operator was driving her route, scanning for any number of people or vehicles that could suddenly appear in the danger zone just ahead, or to either side, of her windshield. There's no telling how many lives she had saved prior to this next few moments, but that became null in the minds of the constant and unforgiving jury we face as bus operators.

Moments later, two people lay dead under her bus, three of their friends injured. It was a tragedy for all involved. We all live with this possible nightmare, hoping and praying we can avoid it. For the driver, it's something she will always see in her rearview. She was vilified for what happened. Every action she took that night was minutely-scrutinized, and she ultimately became another victim in the horrific aftermath.

Every time I ride a bus operated by one of my brothers or sisters, I'm picking up some safety tidbit from them. We're masters of predicting possible outcomes just by watching the unfolding movie that plays every time we start our vehicle. Over the years, we hone our skills of scanning and predicting/reacting to countless scenarios. Prior experience comes into play, which aids us in making split-second decisions that save lives every moment we're in service.

Remember, our bus is 40-feet long and weighs 40,000 lbs. It has an air brake system which requires a steady and firm application of the pedal to smoothly operate. This is a very heavy object which can kill someone at speeds as low as 5mph. Multiply weight by speed and it gives you the mass of a moving object. A 20-ton vehicle moving at 5mph pushes 200,000 lbs. of mass. Yes, it's a deadly machine.

When this tragedy occurred, much was asked about how we're trained. It's understandable that when anyone is hurt by a professional driver, their training and safety record is questioned. A former tractor-trailer operator, I thought bus operator training would be easier and less demanding than that of my former occupation. However, I found that it's even more detailed and intense. Not only do we deal with human cargo, but we are constantly operating in high-density traffic conditions versus the over-the-road truck driver, who covers vast distances via mostly freeways. Our trainers are very serious about the dangers bus operators face every second.

What fails to be mentioned after a tragedy is how many thousands of safe, incident-free miles are logged by the operator involved. Although we undergo an intense training regimen and are constantly under the microscope of an over-zealous management, little is said about how amazingly safe we actually are. Safer than private motorists by far, given the amount of "fender benders" not involving transit vehicles compared to incidents which do involve us. We're considerably safer than for-hire driving services, delivery vehicles, police officers, and others with whom we share the road.

Yes, we are safe drivers. We have to be. So are school bus operators, who carry even more precious cargo. We need to be vigilant not only to keep our jobs, but also because we know how dangerous our vehicle can be. Drivers who continuously make mistakes without correcting them face suspension or even termination. A good bus driver is constantly self-evaluating and trying to correct mistakes before they happen, ultimately saving thousands of lives over a career. For me, it's a daily regimen to work on aspects of my driving that concern me, so that I can be as safe as humanly-possible every time I'm out there. We are also bombarded with safety messages about dangerous points on specific routes, construction schedules and traffic changes city-wide. If you want to be a safe driver, sign on to be a bus driver. Our safety tends to follow us into our personal vehicles as well.

One fact I've mentioned here before is the sheer numbers professional transit operators compile each year. On a 10-hour route, I've calculated that I stop my bus about 800 times or more a day, 4,000 times per week. That's not just at service stops but also includes intersections, to avoid disasters involving bicyclists, pedestrians, skateboarders, pets, jaywalkers and others. Multiply 4k by 52 weeks, and we apply stopping brake pressure approximately 208,000 times in a year.  The average bus operator drives a bus over 100 miles each day, as opposed to the average motorists who logs about 20 or less. We do this without distractions such as cellphones or thumping stereos, but also deal with unruly passengers who have no idea their shenanigans could cause us to miss something serious which could lead to injury or death. Without a doubt, we are as a group, the most conscientious motorists on the road at any given time.

Yes, mistakes happen. It's an unfortunately inevitable statistic. When you consider the incredible numbers involved in transit, it's a testament to the professionalism of operators how many incidents we avoid. We move over 330,000 passengers each day in Portland. To expect sheer perfection is inhuman, but it's expected of us. And yes, we deliver the safest ride at the least expensive price of any people movers. Unfortunately, the father who wants us tested or trained even more, lost his precious daughter. It's a devastating tragedy that will follow him to his last day, a nightmare every parent fears.

Every time I get into the seat, I say a silent prayer for all who will be on or near my bus that day. I repeat a mantra developed early in my career which helps me remain focused on the serious job ahead of me. Those transit workers who read this can probably attest to the fact that most drivers have something similar which helps them remain focused on safety. Transit operators are what we are; keeping people safe is what we do.

So the father of one who was killed in that downtown crosswalk in 2010 is supporting a bill in the Oregon Legislature requiring bus operators take a written test every time we renew our license. I'm not against this measure, but I think it should be amended to include all who renew their licenses.

We're required to keep abreast of laws and safety procedures, and we're trained each year through recertification and check rides. No other profession I'm aware of is as intensely-scrutinized for our driving skills and practices as transit operators. Private motorists take instruction as teenagers, develop terrible habits, become road-raging maniacs as they age without further training; yet we're the only ones who should be tested? Any logical-thinking person would agree this is a backwards, lopsided philosophy.

It's getting so crazy on our streets I would support a bill that requires extra driver training for anyone renewing their license every second interval. Also, anyone caught road-raging or being cited for outrageous stunts on the road should be required to attend an intense regimen of driving safety classes. Some citations warrant immediate suspension of driving privileges. Any vehicle is a deadly weapon in the wrong hands. And folks, there are a lot of hands on steering wheels these days.

Safe travels, dear readers. And peace to those who have lost loved ones on the road. We all mourn with you.